Burning Cold
by SirSigil
Summary: They say opposites attract. Haldr has never understood why, yet he knows it's right anyway. Some fires can burn cold. (Male DB / Serana).
1. Burning Cold

**Burning Cold**

Haldr sighed heavily, the breath leaving his lips in a foggy haze. The cold that gripped the Dawnguard keep was unrelenting. The snows had barely started to fall before the fortress was claimed by the freeze. It had been several months now since the keep had been reclaimed by Isran and the others, yet their presence and efforts hadn't made it any less decrepit it seemed.

The nord rubbed at his eyes wearily as he sat up from his cot. Night had fallen well and truly now. The only light was from a sad, flickering candle that still clung to life at this late hour. Yellowed papers sat curled upon the dark wood table. Haldr's leather Dawnguard armour stood sentinel on its stand to the side of the bed, barely illuminated in the dark orange glow. It was probably early morning. The whole keep was likely asleep, save for the few unlucky souls on night watch. Though tired, Haldr was having trouble sleeping. He'd fallen under a few times, but the startling images of terrors and horrors he could scarce believe he could even imagine kept dragging him back to consciousness.

He shook his head vigorously with something of a growl and got up, leaving the relative warmth of his bed and relishing the feel of it. He liked the cold. He couldn't explain what it was really. There was something about the crisp sharpness of it that invigorated him, made him feel alive. Maybe it was simply because he was a nord, or maybe he was just odd.

The hunter padded away from his cot and over towards the circular iron railings that surrounded the large opening in the second floor. The roof hatch was open, letting in a slither of moonlight into the keep with the brisk breeze. The wind stirred against his senses and he realised he couldn't hear Isran snoring in the room around to the left. The redguard was probably up and about himself: ever vigilant, ever paranoid.

Haldr breathed a chuckle to himself and leant on the railings, gazing up at the night sky. A pair of spectral rivers ran over each other in the navy expanse, dancing slowly and softly up, over and through each other. One red, one blue. Perfect opposites in perfect harmony.

"Can't sleep?"

The sudden, quiet question jolted Haldr from his musings. He spun on the spot to find a pair of glowing amber eyes fixed intently on him. For a wild, primal moment, Haldr thought to fight or flee. Then he quickly recognised who those eyes belonged to and, as his eyes adjusted to the darkness surrounding them, he relaxed.

"Not really. My mind can't rest it seems."

"Oh? Having nightmares?"

The figure with amber eyes pushed herself off the wall and Serana stalked closer to him, just before the edge of the moonlight. Smirk affixed on dark lips that stood out bold against pale skin.

Haldr let out a harsh chuckle, "Maybe a little. I thought we were supposed to be done with that sort of thing when we get older."

Serana chuckled ruefully, "I've lived quite a while, Hal. I'll let you know when it happens."

"Is that what you're doing up this late then?"

The amber eyes quirked in confusion for a moment before the pale lips parted slightly to reveal razor sharp fangs. Serana casually pointed to them with a long, pale finger.

"Right, vampire. Stupid question. You don't sleep at night do you?"

"Less chance of nightmares that way." She smiled. "For a vampire hunter you seem oddly ignorant about my kind."

"I'm still pretty new at all this."

Another smirk and a flash of white fangs. "You're inefficient as well. There's a vampire standing right in front of you. You're currently doing a very poor job of slaying me, you know."

"True, though I suppose you're glad of that fact. Thanks for letting me know though, I suppose I should give you a few minutes head start. Just to be fair, you know?"

Serana regarded him curiously for a long moment, amber eyes narrowed in appraisal. Her head was tilted forward slightly, giving him a clear view of those exquisitely carved cheekbones.

"What is it?" Haldr cocked his head.

"I have wondered …" She began before taking a deep breath, almost as if to steady herself. Yet to Haldr, she'd never looked stronger. "Why didn't you try to kill me? In Dimhollow Crypt, why didn't you finish me off? You didn't know me, but you knew what I was there and then, didn't you? I had just woken, I was weak. You could have managed it without much of a fight. So … why?"

"Would you have liked me to?" The hunter shook his head with a wan smile. "Seems an odd thing for anyone to want-"

"Why didn't you?" Serana pressed, her golden gaze forceful.

Haldr met her glare evenly for a moment.

"If you really wanted to know, couldn't you just … I don't know, dominate my mind and get the answers you want? I've seen you do more than that to men before."

A slip of a smile, it was simultaneously both sweet and dangerous, "I certainly could, if I wanted to. But I don't. I want to hear it from your lips, willingly."

His dim blue eyes clashed with her bright amber ones. "I think you already know."

"_Why_, Hal?"

She paced right up to him now, right into the path of the moonlight. Her pale, regal face was illuminated clearly. She stood every inch a queen, beautiful and glorious. Yet the intent darkness behind her eyes betrayed her true nature. She was gazing deep into his eyes, his very soul. Haldr swallowed thickly under her scrutiny.

"Honestly … out of all the possibilities I could have expected, I never thought I'd find someone like you locked up down there."

"And what is _someone like me_? A vampire? A woman?"

"A beautiful woman." The admission came quickly, his voice quiet and a little hoarse. The temperature in his cheeks rising. "I- I opened up that crypt – your cell – and there you were. This … beautiful woman, trapped in a rotting prison. Yes, I knew what you were from the moment I first laid eyes on you, but there was something … I don't know. You looked so at peace, like you were just sleeping. I could tell you weren't a monster like the others. I just- I just couldn't kill you like that. You were unarmed and weak and it didn't seem right. And … well, here we are. That's why."

Serana's expression hadn't changed at all throughout his confession. Still she examined him closely, as if he were a specimen in a mage's laboratory, a troublesome mystery to solve. Haldr felt a trickle of nervous sweat trail down his spine but he kept his eyes up to match her gaze.

"And now?"

"… Now?" The hunter raised an eyebrow, confused.

"And why haven't you tried to kill me since? What's stopping you from striking me down now?" She spread her arms out wide as if inviting him to stab a blade through her heart. "You've had plenty of opportunity. I'm still a vampire, still a threat to you and everyone you hold dear, aren't I?" She quirked a smile, equal parts humoured and teasing, "Surely my looks aren't the only thing keeping me alive. I haven't noticed you lustfully gazing after me like a fool, so it can't just be that."

"How can you be so sure?" The 'joke' left Haldr's lips before he could help himself.

An elegant, dark eyebrow rose, "I'm very perceptive, _hunter_. I would have noticed. You haven't answered my question though."

"You've been helping us deal with- with the Elder Scroll, haven't you?" He was about to say Harkon's name, but caught himself quickly. Haldr couldn't even begin to imagine what fighting against her father was doing to Serana. She didn't seem to register his moment of hesitation. "It'd be pretty rude of us to murder an ally after all. Even Isran's aware of that at least." Haldr shook his head with a smile.

"Is that all? Is that all _I_ am?" The vampire's eyebrow rose expectantly with a dark hint of a smirk.

Haldr regarded her carefully for a moment before replying. He had a slither of a feeling that he was being manoeuvred into saying something incriminating. Either that or she was sizing him up for the kill. He had to remind himself that stood before him was a cold blooded vampire, a dangerous, predatory creature. Yet Serana was so much more than her kin, more intelligent, cunning and capable by far. She had all the reasoning and intellect of any man or mer – maybe more so – to go along with the innate skills and strength granted by her blood. He wasn't sure if that made her more or less dangerous to him. He quashed the thought quickly.

"Does it really matter, Serana? I'm not going to hurt you, not now, not ever." Haldr swore and he meant it. "We're partners now."

"Cute." The vampire chuckled. "But I want a proper answer, Hal. I _need_ one."

She put a pale, delicate hand on his muscle toned chest, pushing him right back up against the railing. Through his slim night shirt, he could feel her touch. It was cold, almost burningly so. Her eyes were alight. She only touched him lightly with her fingertips, yet he felt pinned there by all the strength of a dragon.

"Serana …" Haldr murmured through clenched teeth.

"Why do you protect me?" Serana murmured seductively. Her hand slowly crawled up his chest, one cold finger at a time. "Why do you vouch for me in front of your friends? Why aren't you afraid of me? Why, Hal?"

"I …"

The fingers reached his collar and his breathing hitched a little as the cold met his skin fully. Serana let out a throaty chuckle, she leaned in towards his ear, her fangs hovering so close to his neck.

"_Why?_" She pressed once more, voice barely a husky whisper.

"I want you!" He gasped desperately, the truth out so suddenly he wondered if she hadn't just bewitched him after all. "I need you. I couldn't bear to see you hurt. I-"

Serana's finger pushed against his lips as she leaned back, silencing him immediately. Her amber eyes flashed with fire and life as she smirked. She was biting the side of her lip between sharp fangs as if trying to decide his fate: Whether to merely push him off the balcony, or whether to bite his neck and drain his life away.

She lunged.

Her freezing lips crashed into his hot ones with urgency and longing. Surprised, Haldr quickly responded, relishing the alien feel of a vampire's embrace. It was like nothing he had experienced before and nothing he could have imagined.

He felt her grasp his rear and the pull that led him back towards his quarters. Haldr followed, a little numbly at first, but he soon found sure footing. The lone candle that stood on the table still flickered slowly as they passed, so little of the candle left to burn.

Their embrace was a pure paradox. His lips were chillingly hot, hers burning cold. A perfect storm erupted between them and neither wanted to back out to safety. It was intoxicating, like dancing with death, in only the way true danger could be. One slip, one errant twitch, one wrong movement, and she'd claim him with her fangs. Would he turn right away? Or would he wake as a vampire in the morning? Would she have to intend for him to join her in un-death? Or would the slightest nick of her fangs do the trick?

At last Serana broke the contact abruptly, she was panting hard. Haldr's head was spinning, as though she'd drained his blood completely. He'd already decided he'd give it all willingly if she asked.

"I want you, _hunter_. Now." Serana demanded with urgency. She forcefully dragged him around her with hidden strength and pushed him to fall on the cot. The frame creaked angrily at the sudden weight.

"Then come get me, _vampire_." The hunter laughed, gazing up at her with barely contained hunger.

Serana growled deep in her throat as she pounced. They fumbled and clawed at each other, desperate and yearning, passionate and gentle. Everything was a contradiction. All of his touches were burning and strong. Every touch of hers was icy and precise. It was pure ecstasy. She claimed him with an urgent craving, and he gave everything without question.

It was madness, pure madness. A vampire hunter and a vampire. Their kinds were bitter enemies for many an age. Yet here they were, locked in carnal abandon. It was dangerous for both of them, if they were caught. It was dangerous even if they weren't.

But above all, it was right.

xxx

Haldr woke slowly, the soft echoing of voices and footsteps from beyond his chambers brushed against his hearing. He opened his eyes a little only to shut them again against the morning light that crept in from the chamber beyond.

"Sleep well?"

The question came from nearby. His vision slowly settled to find the speaker perched on the side of his cot. Serana looked down on him with something of a mischievous grin. She'd donned her familiar attire of the Volkihar clan already.

"Serana?" Haldr sighed as he sat up, rubbing the vestiges of sleep from his eyes. He had only the thin sheets of his bed to cover his modesty.

"So you are awake. Funny, you seemed dead to the world." She leaned in close to level her amber gaze with his. "Almost like a vampire."

A chill swept over him in a wave. He cautiously probed his teeth with his tongue. No fangs, not that he could tell anyway. So she hadn't-

"Relax." Serana eyed him with a knowing smile. "I don't make a habit of turning people against their will."

Haldr found no words to say to that. He smiled in thanks and in embarrassment for having thought she might actually turn him. He had no idea if such a thought could cause offensive to a vampire. Serana didn't seem offended at least. Haldr slowly sat up, feeling at peace once more. He realised that the horrors that had plagued his mind of late were strangely absent. His dreams had been clear and peaceful for once. It was refreshing to say the least.

"I haven't slept as well as that in … Gods, I don't know how long."

A chuckle as the vampire stood, "I'll take that as a compliment, hunter."

"So … what now?"

"Now?" Serana quirked an eyebrow, "Now … I suggest you go get breakfast. Smells like eggs."

Haldr could smell no eggs. A vampire's senses were strong indeed.

"You know what I mean, Serana."

"Perhaps." She smirked. "Perhaps not."

"You're just toying with me now."

Serana regarded him carefully for a moment. "First rule you should know about being a vampire hunter, Hal …"

Haldr cocked his head at her. He opened his mouth to ask what she meant when suddenly she shot towards him with a speed no natural being should have. Her face was pressed up into his. She claimed his lips in a sudden kiss that brought back the cold and the memories of the night before.

He gasped. Pain suddenly shot through his lower lip as Serana's fangs bit down hard. Hot blood trickled into his mouth and oozed down his chin. His eyes went wide in alarm, but she held him there with unnatural force.

"You're not the only predator out there, you know." She purred through his bloody lip.

She released him as fast as she had claimed him. Leaning back, she licked the crimson liquid – his blood – from her own lips with a salacious grin and a chuckle. When she swallowed, it was with a very slow, very deliberate motion that arched her head back gracefully. She turned and left the room without another word, a confident stride to her step that screamed predator.

Dumbstruck, Haldr couldn't tear his gaze away.

He wiped his mouth and thumbed his lip when she'd left. He eyed the crimson with a curious look, almost as if he expected some sort of sign of a vampire's kiss that she'd left in his lifeblood: Some mark, or a change of colour even. There was nothing, only blood. The only marks she'd left in her wake were the puncture wounds in his lip and the rapid beat in his heart.

In spite of himself, he couldn't help but smile.


	2. Predator

**Predator**

The faint whistle of the wind through the trees brushed against the senses. The only other sounds were the faint calls of animals deeper in the forest. There seemed to be no beast big or small in the immediate area. Perhaps, on some primal level, they understood well enough to stay far away from the predators that roamed these trees.

Haldr however, did not seem to have that sixth sense for danger.

Very consciously, Haldr kept his breathing deep and steady. He hunkered low, keeping his body close to the height of the bushes and brambles that crowded the forest floor. The chaotic nature of the place set off false alarms in every direction. He had to fight just to keep from springing into action at every rustle of leaves. His dull blue eyes raked over the scene around him, searching for any sign of his quarry. Keeping the grip on his axe strong, the nord edged forwards into the clearing. The soft rustling of leaves and branches, he paid no mind. His attention was out for only one thing.

A sudden snap of a twig and a jostling branch wheeled his eyes around. A bush swayed slightly as if just disturbed. Then it fell still.

Haldr's heartbeat was running a marathon. The sound of it in his ears threatened to deafen him to his foe.

The sound of a branch breaking behind him. He spun around, axe ready to strike.

Nothing, again.

Then a laugh. Soft and quiet, but still audible over the autumnal breeze. Its sound just a little too faint to pinpoint anywhere. It seemed to echo from everywhere at once.

Like prey, he was being toyed with. Haldr hated that. He wished they would just make their move and have done with it. At least it would be over quickly, one way or the other. The nord centred himself in the heart of the clearing, giving himself the best chance to see an attack form any direction. It was in the open, but Haldr was certain his predator knew exactly where he was, regardless of cover or camouflage.

"I'm right here!" He called out to the wood. "Come face me, you coward!" Haldr waited for a few, brutally long moments. No reply.

The wind died down a little. Everything was falling still, as though frozen in time. The trees stopped swaying and the ambient noise fell to almost nothing. The tension that permeated the air seemed to dissipate. Haldr cast a long, appraising look about once more. There was no sign of anything other than the wood. He let out a sigh. He wasn't sure if it was more frustrated or relieved. He turned about, trying to decide which way he had come. It didn't matter really. He'd find a way out, sooner or later. He barely took two steps forward when the hairs on the back of his neck stood up in alarm.

Moving on instinct, Haldr ducked to the side and swung his axe around. He found purchase on thin air. The air screamed a scream that shook the entire forest. Birds fled in fear. Deer ran for their lives. The sheer _wrongness_ of it hit Haldr as hard as any sword. He staggered back, raised his axe again. The axe head was bloodied.

Eyes wide, Haldr finally found his prey. Shimmering out of nothing, a figure hunched over in the grass. Their robes were darkest pitch, as was their long hair that shrouded their face. The figure was doubled over, snarling and mewling in what Haldr could only understand to be agony. Between him and the figure, a pale grey hand cut clean from the arm, bleeding dark blood into the grass. Dark talons stood proud and extended yet still, forever frozen just before delivering a fatal blow. The figure suddenly whipped its head around. A woman. Or a female face at any rate. Her features were drawn in a horrible, angular scowl that seemed to be carved into her skull. Her skin was a pale grey that looked more dead than living. Whatever race she had been in life, was lost in her un-death.

"You filthy dog!" She cried with spittle and spite. "Your kind will pay for this! All of you!"

Ignoring the fear and revulsion in his stomach, Haldr strode forth quickly and raised his axe to finish it.

The vampire screamed as she surged towards him, her remaining talon raised. Haldr took the brunt of the blow on his shield and chest, his armour holding her at bay. He stumbled back, unbalanced, and he kicked at her as she tried to swoop in for the kill. His boot connected with her abdomen and knocked her off balance. They both tumbled to the forest floor. The axe fell from his hand and tumbled out of sight.

Haldr scrambled and slipped to get up, his armour working against him. He drew mud and moss under his fingernails rather than leverage. The vampire saw his struggling, threw him one last hiss, then, she pelted away into the forest. Swearing angrily, Haldr finally picked himself up to his feet and tore off after her. He drew his crossbow as he went. All he needed was to see her back in the distance. Just one moment, one clean opportunity. Branches whipped at his face as he ran. More than once, he feared he'd trip and fall into a ravine or off a cliff, but he carried onwards on spongy, moss strewn ground. Haldr stumbled into another clearing. Panting hard, he looked around quickly. There was no sign of the vampire. No tracks, no marks, nothing.

"Damn it!" Haldr growled, aiming his crossbow at each side and corner of the clearing in turn, as if expecting the vampire to simply waltz out of the undergrowth towards him.

A rustle from above. Haldr picked his head up just in time to see a silhouette of a form swoop down upon him. Pain exploded in his shoulder as though a freeing knife had been driven in. His left arm immediately felt numb and useless. The vampire had latched onto his back. She laughed at his pain and useless thrashing.

"Pathetic worm!" The vampire crowed. "You're nothing but vermin! Fit for cattle, nothing more!"

Groaning, Haldr struggled to throw her off.

Her talon came out of his shoulder roughly. Fresh pain pierced into his side as she stabbed him again. Haldr's strength threatened to abandon him entirely. He could feel his blood seeping from his body in droves. She could have ended it so quickly, one slice across his throat, but she was having far too much fun making him suffer first. Haldr fell to his knees. He abandoned the effort to keep himself upright. Running on adrenaline more than cunning, his right arm flew up, crossbow still in hand. He pulled the trigger. An earthy _thunk_ and a sickening _squelch_ hit his ears and a splash of hot wetness hit his cheek. The vampire had stopped laughing and snarling and thrashing. She fell limp and slowly slid off the nord. Haldr's fingers too lost their strength and the crossbow fell to the ground.

Panting hard through the pain, Haldr stared down on his slain foe. She had a crossbow bolt straight through the cheek, running up into her head behind her lifeless eyes.

The thrill of battle still clung to Haldr, even as the pain and fatigue threatened to overcome him. Somehow, he managed to manoeuvre himself over to a nearby tree and slid down to lay at the base of the trunk. Teeth gritted, he rummaged fast through his pouch for a health potion. Downing the familiar red brew brought instant relief. It would take a while for him to fully heal, but it would do for now.

"Nicely done, I must say."

The new, unfamiliar voice had Haldr reaching for his weapon again. The crossbow lay on the ground too far away to grab in time. Even if he could reach it, it had no bolt loaded.

"A pity really, she was always prone to missing crucial details. Foolish girl. I told her it would be her undoing one day."

The source of the voice was nowhere to be seen. It was male, Haldr could tell that much. Its tone even and measured, an undercurrent of malice gripped the words.

"Still, she was _mine_." The voice suddenly took on a razor sharp edge, ready to cut a fatal wound.

A figure emerged from the trees. A tall, slim man, an altmer – No, not a mer, another vampire, though this one still retained something of their mortal being. Or at the very least, he was better at pretending than the female. He was clad in simple yet elegant robes, black and gold. His hands were gently clasped in front of him in a dignified manner. In any other setting, he could pass for a middling nobleman or a wealthy merchant. The glare of his dark red eyes however, was distinctly alien and threatening.

"I cannot allow such a thing to pass … _unpunished_." He snarled. He raised one hand as he approached and slowly flexed his extending talons.

"And _I_ cannot allow you to have this one." Another voice came out of the forest. This one was female, playful, and distinctly familiar to the nord.

"What is this?" The altmer vampire cast his gaze about, irritated. "Show yourself!"

"Gladly."

Soft footsteps heralded the arrival of Serana. She stepped out leisurely from behind a tree. A break in the canopy above her illuminated her presence like a beacon, almost as if her entrance were a carefully managed arena bought.

Serana's effect on the altmer was instantaneous. The noble bearing he wore mere moments before vanished as his features curled into a vicious snarl. The predator had become prey in a heartbeat. His whole persona was suddenly more bestial and monstrous. It was like a wild animal, making itself look as threatening as possible in the face of an adversary. He had clearly recognised Serana for what she truly was. While this altmer may be something a nobleman among vampires, Serana was a queen.

She was so much more than a mere threat.

"Leave me, pureblood!" The altmer snarled. "This one slew my brood!"

"I won't repeat myself." Serana's lips were turned slightly into a dark smirk, her shining amber eyes cold and deadly. "Go skulking back into the shadows, if you know what's good for you."

The altmer growled like a rabid wolf. "_No_! This one took something from me. I will have my due!"

With that, he launched himself at Haldr, claws extended and a cry on his lips. Haldr flinched and tried to roll out of the way instinctively. A shrill whistle took to the air as a shard of ice flew straight through the altmer. The vampire screamed pitifully as the hole in his chest bled profusely. In a heartbeat, another frozen spear buried its way through the vampire's ankle, crippling the joint. The altmer cowered on the ground, trying desperately to put some distance between himself and the pureblood vampire. Serana stalked slowly towards him, another ice spell coalescing in her open palm. Her amber eyes alight with malice.

"What is this? _Why?_" The altmer wailed pitifully, all vestiges of the noble creature had gone now, leaving only the base monster within. "That _thing_ is not one of us!"

"No, but he is _mine_."

Before the altmer could so much as moan, Serana hurled another bolt of magical ice and pierced his skull, pinning him to the tree at his back like a ghoulish doll.

Lying propped up on his arms, Haldr could merely watch the show in awe. He'd known of Serana's power and skill with magic for a while now, but to see it in action, and used so brutally and efficiently, was something to behold. She was a natural predator, pure and lethal. She was glorious.

_I would follow that woman into oblivion itself_. Haldr swore silently.

Serana turned to Haldr with a smirk on her lips, the smile of a pure blooded predator. "So, I suppose this is the part where I show my true colours and betray you?"

Haldr managed to tear his gaze away from her and down to his torso. _Gods, that is a lot of blood_.

"Could you at least … give me a few minutes first? … Thanks."

Then, he passed out.

xxx

The moon hung overhead peacefully. The stars were out in full force as well. The forest was altogether a much more tranquil setting now that the fighting was over and done with. Even the animals that called this place home seemed to sense it and had returned. Haldr could hear their midnight calls and chirps now.

Serana was busy laying out a bedroll on the forest floor, her back illuminated by the orange fire between them. Haldr lay propped up against a tree. His wounds were bound and his strength returning.

"There." The vampire smiled to herself as she finished her work. "Pity we didn't bring a coffin, then I'd feel right at home."

Haldr immediately regretted laughing as his chest protested in pain. He coughed roughly, feeling like his lungs wanted to escape through his mouth.

"Sorry." Serana smirked, not looking the least bit sorry.

"Eh, don't worry." Haldr sighed as he leant back, eyes closed. "I'll live … I think."

Serana chuckled under her breath as she rounded the fire and plopped herself down to sit beside the wounded warrior. She rummaged around in his pack a while before producing a red bottle.

"Here. Where would you be without me, huh?" She teased as she handed the potion over. As he drank, the pain subsided quickly. He still felt rough, but he was far from death's door at the least.

"I don't know. Living a peaceful, happy life in Whiterun perhaps."

"Oh really?" She eyed him with a glare that was only partly playful. "You know damn well you'd be dead right now if it wasn't for me."

"I _am_ grateful, you know. Thank you."

Serana smiled, though it didn't reach her amber eyes. She turned her head to gaze at the grass her fingers were toying with.

"You should be more careful." She murmured quietly, plucking a few blades from the ground. "It's not like you can heal yourself as I can. One wrong move, and …"

She snapped a blade between her fingers.

Serana raised her head to stare right into his eyes. Even at the best of times, he found those amber eyes of hers impossible to ignore. Now, they drilled intently into Haldr, forcing him to consider her words.

"I just … got unlucky today." He said meekly.

A harsh laugh. "_Unlucky_? Is that what you call it? You nearly _died_ today, Hal."

"That's the risk I take with this line of work. It's always dangerous."

"You could at least be smarter about what risks you do take. I mean, charging off after her, alone like that? That was stupid and reckless and you know it."

"I knew you'd be nearby."

"That's no excuse. I won't always be near at hand to save you from your mistakes."

"Exactly."

When she cocked her head at him, confused, Haldr continued.

"Serana, you are by far more skilled at this than I am. You have more power than I will likely ever know. You've probably been doing this sort of thing longer than I can even imagine. You're a hunter, you're a predator, you are so … _lethal_."

Serana eyed him curiously but did not interject.

"If I have any hope to match you one day, or even get close, I need to learn. I need to grow. I need to take risks and make mistakes. Yes, I'm going to get hurt now and again, nothing can stop that. That's just part of it. Today was bad, I know that, but I don't intend on dying."

Serana sighed. She gazed into the fire in thought for a while. "I sometimes forget just how young you are."

"You make it sound like I'm a child." Haldr frowned.

Serana turned a mock scowl his way. "You know what I mean, Hal. You're right. I do have more years of experience than you ever will. More than I'm ever likely to admit." Her lips turned into a smirk. "So many in fact, that you should heed my words when I tell you that running off after a wounded vampire – _alone_ – is likely to get you killed. That is not a risk worth taking. You may be a vampire hunter, Hal, but you chose that life. A vampire was _born_ to hunt mortal kind. Besides, a vampire is never more dangerous when they have nothing left to lose."

"Alright, alright." He held up his hands in surrender, his left noticeably lower than his right.

Serana's amber gaze softened for a moment, but the steel came back quickly. "Remember, you're _mortal_, Hal. Are you really so eager to find out what that means?"

Haldr couldn't help but smile. "Is the vampire really concerned for the vampire hunter now?"

Serana rolled her eyes with a small shake of her head. "You're moderately useful, even if only as bait. I'll give you that much."

Haldr chuckled, even as he felt the sting hit his pride.

"I'm going for a walk." Serana announced, getting up the ground. "Or maybe a prowl, I haven't decided. All this talk, makes me restless."

"Oh?"

"Not used to lecturing so much. Vampires don't sit around campfires chatting the night away. It's not natural. No, we lurk in the shadows and steal babes from their cribs, after all. Didn't your mother ever tell you that?"

"I must have missed that lesson." Haldr half smiled.

"Well, pray you don't ever have a child to find out for yourself then." She sighed and shook her head with a hint of a smirk. "Try not to die before I get back?"

"No promises." Haldr gazed down at his bindings. The bleeding seemed to have stopped, or slowed down to a trickle at the very least.

When Haldr looked back up, Serana was gone. He never even heard her footsteps. He looked around. No sign of the apex predator. She had completely vanished, somewhere in the gloomy shadows beyond the fires glare.

xxx

Haldr opened his eyes slowly. The lack of light threw him for a second until he realised it was night time. The moon hung high overhead, casting the forest in a dull silvery glow. _How long was I asleep?_ Haldr stretched himself awake. He felt stiff and tight, like he'd been sleeping for an age, though his wounds felt much better.

Looking about the small camp, there was no sign of Serana. She hadn't returned from her prowling. She may have even left him and gone back to Fort Dawnguard. No, probably not. There were precious few of the vampire hunters that Serana could play nice with. In fact, that number may only really be Haldr alone. Perhaps after the conflict with Harkon, when her contribution to his downfall was complete, things would change. Wherever she was, Haldr knew she could take care of herself. Better than he could, in his current state anyway.

Haldr rubbed at his face, finding stale sweat and grime stuck to him unpleasantly. He got to his feet, and, picking up his crossbow for protection, Haldr strode out from camp towards a lake he knew to be nearby. He left his armour and axe behind, preferring to go in his underclothes. He felt like collapsing just thinking about the weight of his equipment. The forest was almost certainly deserted of people and further vampires, and he doubted a deer or a fox would wander into his camp and carry his gear away.

He set off downhill and in short order, he found the lake he was looking for. The waters shimmered peacefully in the moonlight. The nord gave his surroundings a quick appraisal before he took off his clothes. Again, he was certain no one was around, especially in the dead of night, but it never hurt to be cautious. _That's the second rule of vampire hunting_, he imagined Serana scolding him.

He shed his clothes on the banks of the lake, keeping only his bandages on. They were thankfully only tinged red with his blood, not soaked through altogether. Haldr waded into the shallows, going only so far as to submerge his waist. The rocks and pebbles beneath his feet rolled and jostled beneath him as he went.

Haldr set about washing himself. He winced lightly as his wounds and bruises protested angrily, but he paid them no mind.

A rustling noise crept into Haldr's ears from behind him. He swung around quickly, eyes scanning the bank for a threat. Nothing. There was only the slight sway of the wind in the trees. The nord frowned. He could have sworn he heard something more solid. A deer suddenly burst from behind a bush and skipped up the bank and into the forest. Haldr shook his head at himself for a moment before turning back to his washing. _I'm getting paranoid_. He longed for the day when the war with Harkon was over, then he could truly relax once more. He hoped.

The nord froze mid-cleaning. Not a sound, but something screeched at his senses. Before he could even think of doing anything, something solid collided with his back. Haldr staggered forward, somehow managing to keep his footing amidst the loose stones and grit. The thing at his back enveloped him with arms and the unsettlingly cold presence of another body.

_A vampire!_

Alarm bells rang in Haldr's mind and he drew his left arm forward, winding up to deliver his elbow in a blow.

"Got you." The body at his back chuckled, low and teasing and very familiar.

Haldr's elbow stuttered to a halt as his brain registered the voice. He let out the breath he hadn't realised he'd held. Dark laughter echoed in his ear.

"That's not funny, Serana." Haldr scolded with an irritated snarl.

"Oh? Don't be such a sour puss." Serana was still perched on his back, arms and legs wrapped around Haldr's toned body for purchase.

"I almost hit you."

"You didn't though, and you wouldn't have hurt me even if you had." The vampire poked the hunter in the side, the unhurt side. "What are you doing in the lake this late at night?"

"Bathing, what else?"

Serana hoped down from his back, the light splash of the water was the first sound of her movement. "By moonlight? Are you so determined to be something's prey, or _someone's_?"

Haldr turned to level a glare at her, then instantly turned back, cheeks red, as he noticed her lack of clothing. "Gods, Serana, what are you doing?"

"Bathing, what else?" There a trickle of water which Haldr was certain Serana cleaning herself to prove her point. Haldr could almost hear the smirk on her lips.

"Aren't you being a little hypocritical?" Haldr drawled, smiling slightly in spite of himself.

"Hmm, you see, the difference is that I can take care of myself."

"I'm not an invalid, you know."

Haldr quickly received a sharp prod to his wounded side. He yelped in surprise and jumped away, almost slipping on the slick stones beneath his feet.

"I'm sure." Serana chuckled at his expense.

Slightly annoyed, Haldr ignored her. He took to focussing on cleaning himself. He heard a sigh from behind and the gentle sloshing of water as Serana padded up to him once more through the water.

The vampire snaked her cold arms around the hunter's torso. Haldr's breath hitched slightly but he didn't move away. "Do you really want to pout all night, Hal? Wouldn't you rather turn around and face me?" Serana breathed in his ear. Haldr was very aware of both his and her state of undress. The unspoken challenge hung in the air around them.

Haldr's mouth slipped into a smile and he chuckled as he turned in her arms. "That's not really fair, Serana."

"Vampire's don't fight fair, hunter." Serana smirked, throwing her arms around his neck casually. Her glowing amber eyes were filled with mirth and mischief. She shook her head with a couple of tuts. "There's so much I have yet to teach you."

Haldr was tempted to ask just what sort of things she had to teach, but then all of a sudden, her icy lips were on his and the question didn't seem to matter anymore.


End file.
